As Advanced Placement tests wrap up at WHS, few students are left with fond memories of the roughly three-hour exams. For Florida students, though, these tests may no longer be necessary; the Florida state government has created a new suite of accelerated courses known as Florida Advanced Courses and Tests, intended to provide an alternative to traditional APs. However, the curriculum of a new FACT history course suggests that these changes are driven by troubling motives.

FACT United States History displays several fundamental differences from its AP counterpart. The course begins, for example, with studying the Bible; students are told that the religious document was the basis for American ideas about liberty and equality. The role of slavery in early American history is largely brushed over, and the founding fathers are described to be unquestionably against the institution. Native American history and colonial interactions are almost entirely forgotten.

Evidently, the FACT course is based upon a right-wing curriculum and intends to provide a politicized alternative to the more neutral, factual approach taken by the College Board.

Equally evident is the fact that the rampant politicization of public schools must stop.

FACT curricula were just announced on May 4, and the courses will be offered for the first time this fall. Soon, many Florida students will be taking classes with a clear political agenda; they will be presented with conservative ideals in place of a balanced education. As Florida pushes for other conservative states to adopt FACT courses, as well as for colleges outside of Florida to accept FACT exam scores, this number will likely rise.

Since the election of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the state has been host to some of the nation’s most restrictive and controlling policies regarding public education. In 2023, the DeSantis administration required public schools to adopt new learning standards that targeted history classes, demanding that teachers place heavy emphasis on “the influence of the Judeo-Christian tradition” on the American founding.

However, this pattern of education becoming increasingly political has been present for far longer, and on a much broader scale. According to The New York Times, 17 states have passed laws restricting class discussion on issues of race and gender since 2021.
Even more recently, some states have encouraged schools to implement biblical themes into lessons. Today, teachers in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama are required to display the 10 Commandments in their classrooms.

Polls show that these measures have had far-reaching impacts. According to a study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union, over 29 percent of American students across the country report minimal discussion of race and ethnicity in their high school history classes.

The fundamental issue tied to these developments is not simply a matter of partisanship; it is one of education. If American history is being covered up in this fashion — with periods as vital as the Civil Rights Movement being reduced to an afterthought — how can students possibly be expected to understand the true nature of America? How can they understand its desires and its needs? And, above all, how can they be expected to make reasonable choices in a democratic system without this knowledge?

Public education is known for being one of the most decentralized American institutions. In recent years, however, the Trump administration has moved to change this; the Department of Education has begun to withhold federal funding from schools for discussing topics like structural racism and gender identity. The politicization of public schools is only becoming a larger issue.

With no action being taken to stop this trend, there’s no end in sight. And as curricula become more partisan and students become less informed, a question arises: How is American democracy to survive if the education of its participants amounts to little more than propaganda?